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2015 NEWS

Uploaded : 07 Jan 16

Will I ever learn? Every year I vow to write the newsletter in the first week of December and every year it becomes a hurried review of the previous year just a few days before Christmas.2015 has sped past and before we know it will be 2016, first foals will be due and show schedules will be dropping onto the mat. This year’s foaling went well, and I would say that they were possibly our best crop of foals so far. The increased market for weight carrying types saw more foals by Sandy’s Light and Keady Star and we have a number by these stallions due for next year. I am determined to breed a top Heavy weight show hunter and to this end both Big Bird, multiple winner as a heavyweight mare, and Langaller Eve’n Keel are both carrying to Sandy. Langaller Starring Role is proving to be an incredibly consistent sire of stunning youngsters. For a young stallion himself it is exciting to see that his eldest are now rising 4. He has produced show winners at the highest level from every crop. In 2014 Langaller Rolex, owned by Clare Arden qualified for the Cuddy at his showing debut and was 5th in the final. In 2015 his yearling crop excelled winning both male and female classes at Devon County and Small Hunter 2 y old At Bath and West Valerie Kemp’s Challacombe not only won his second County Show class but went on to stand overall youngstock Champion; a huge achievement for a yearling. Challacombe { Langaller Starring Role x Bellever.} At The National Hunter Show Roly was responsible for no less than 4 individual class winners; Langaller Leading Light won the yearling filly, Challacombe won the yearling colt/gelding, Hazel Bramley’s foal What a Catch won the foal class out of the Heavyweight mare What a Yarn, and Doreen Hoare’s Langaller Daneka won the Small Hunter 2 y olds and stood Reserve Champion to the Hobb’s beautiful mare who went on to win the Cuddy qualifier. Marian Pascoe’s Langaller Roll Over {full brother to Langaller Leading Light} was second in the Sports Horse 2 y old class.

Full siblings Langaller Roll Over and Langaller Leading LightOur season seems to be ever more tightly packed with shows throughout the country. This year saw a return to the beautiful Lincoln County Show. This showground is always immaculate and this year was no exception. Successful too, with the Hon. Mrs.Price’s 2 year old sports horse filly Secret Legacy, winning her class and standing Reserve Champion. Our mare and foal both won as did Sally Carpenter’s Optimus Prime, a coloured 3 year old by Keady Star. Our lightweight mare, Coogee Bay has returned to the ring after a few years off and has returned to winning form. This year her foal by Langaller Starring Role has been much admired and was very quickly sold to a serious showing home. Coogee Bay is one of our ‘boomerang’ horses; bought her, showed her, sold her, bought her back, showed her, etc etc. Stephen has one mare that has come back 3 times and will definately now stay. She is a lovely TB mare who has bred us some cracking foals, she is in foal to Keady Star for ’16. Great Yorkshire was Chantry Clover Girl’s only outing this year. As she had such a full season in 2014 we decided to save her but she won her lightweight broodmare class and stood overall Champion Broodmare. A new date for the National Hunter Show this year meant that Bucks County was our final outing. Secret Legacy won again and was reserve Champion Sports horse. Langaller Libermann had his sole outing and stood 3rd to two of the seasons multiple winning 3 year olds and so we were extremely pleased with his result.

Langaller Langaller Libermann { Catherston Liberator x Chantry Clover Girl}Although not shown himself in recent years our resident Connemara stallion Newtown Pedro has produced some outstanding offspring including Cathy Wood’s much garlanded filly Pride and Joy. Our homebred colt foal Langaller Perfect Match sold within minutes of his picture appearing to a lovely showing home and we have retained a purebred filly foal by him.

Langaller Perfect Match { Newtown Pedro x Lisheen Marita}

Before I finish with the showing news this year saw a trip to the Royal Dublin Show, as a spectator only I hasten to add!! It is a wonderful showcase for their breeding with no horse older than 7 permitted to compete. I spent 2 full days sat under the trees at the ring side without moving except for the obvious! The return date is already logged for 2016.Hound puppies always feature in summers at Langaller and this year saw Boffin and Focal arrive from the South Devon. I think Boffin is possibly the best name we have ever had for a hound, except maybe be Barry although that was us and not his real name which was, in fact Barrister. Oooops! And then in a moment of complete madness Barker and Banquet joined them from our friends at the Seavington. Quite a pack with 2 terriers, 1 Red Setter and 4 hound puppies! One morning whilst out walking them down in the woods and they were busy as always running about, suddenly I heard one start to speak and it was obviously hunting something, it got nearer and louder and I saw Banquet through the trees at full tilt heading my way. She came skidding to a halt beside me looking very pleased with herself. ‘Found you!’ Soooo sweet, she was hunting me!!!!!!!In September it was my ‘golden’ birthday and I had a week of days out locally, seeing some of the attractions, places of interest and some of the views that I don’t take time to notice generally. I can recommend it, I think now it is known as a staycation when you holiday ‘at home’ rather than a vacation away. A number of friends joined us for supper here in the barn and then came with me on some of my excursions; a lovely boat trip down the river Dart, a walk around the gardens at RHS Rosemore, a day at the unique coastal village of Clovelly built into the rock face with no vehicular access, a visit to the Eden project and days on Dartmoor and Exmoor. I had a fantastic week. Also many thanks to all who got together to buy me Scarlett, a lovely Red Setter puppy to replace my old girl, Alice, who died last year. Thank you all so much.Onwards and upwards into 2016 and I can report that a few old faces have returned to Langaller for our next season. Woodvean Midnight Blue, by Llanarth Alley Cat and Catherston Liberator are now in their familiar boxes and Wedgnock Cotton Reel is a new face on the yard. Woodvean Midnight Blue is the sire of Kim Shepheard’s hack Langaller Midnight Sun and Annie Monroe’s Benedict who have both had such a successful in hand career. Langaller Midnight Sun now embarks on her ridden career in 2016. Catherston Liberator is such a super all round sport horse stallion, he is an Advanced eventer in his own rite and has many advanced offspring including Tout de Suite in the USA winner at 3*, This horse is british bred and formerly named Trenarth before being sold abroad and having its name changed and pedigree erased. Grrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But we know who you are!!!!!!!!!!!Wedgnock Cotton Reel is a Golden Dun 14h Hunter Pony who I am sure will appeal to many to sire both show and competition ponies. The beautiful Thoroughbred stallion Western Chief joined us in mid season following the untimely demise of our own Sea Heir. Chief is THE most stunning looking horse, incredible limb and movement as well as winning form on the flat and over hurdles. Having only stood privately before he has had relatively few opportunities but has sired many winners in the show ring including the Horse Of The Show Ridng Horse winner Apache Warrior. He has attracted a lot of attention from the showing fraternity with mares booked for 2016 from all over the country.

Western ChiefWe are very grateful to so many for their support which helps to keep Langaller in full swing, particular Stephen, Steph, Kelly, Di, Clare, Rose, Jess, Lizzie, Matt and Shirley for their help with the horses; to our vets Richard Stringer and Jamie Gibbs and farrier Stuart Taylor; sponsors Harry Hall, Leonard Coombes and Gain horse feeds and to all our owners and breeders. We wish you all a very happy Christmas and a successful New Year